Manire Joseph Berens, age 86, of Derby, formerly of Atwood, passed
away on February 19, 2022, at the Wesley Medical Center in Wichita,
Kansas.
He was the son of Ignatius (I. H.) and Sophia (Kuhn)
Berens. Manire was the second oldest of seven kids and was born August
26, 1936, in Victoria, Kansas. He later grew up in Monument, Kansas.
Manire served 2 years in the U. S. Army in Alaska. He married Larena
(Ward) Berens on February 4, 1960. They celebrated 62 years together.
He worked for many farmers around Oakley and Grinnell. He later moved
to Atwood and worked for the Rawlins County Road Department and
retired. He operated lots of heavy machinery. He also worked for
Pioneer Feed Yard, Oakley and Cahoj Earthmoving, Atwood, for many
years. Manire was a hard worker and was always helping people out. He
was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He
didn’t know a stranger and was very generous to everyone. He loved
everyone he knew and always joked or tried to play jokes on anyone he
could.
Manire was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Jody Berens, and two brothers: Linus Berens and Denis Berens.
He
is survived by his wife, Larena, his children: Michael (Barbara)
Berens of Souix City, Iowa, Rhonda (John) Weir of Sanford, North
Carolina, Marshall (Bonnie) Berens of Longmont, Colorado, Stacey Zubia
of Dodge City, Janel (Ross) Spohn of Scott City, Shayla (Maury) Richmeir
of Wichita, and Stephanie Berens of Gillette, Wyoming, and many grand
and great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers: Leroy
(Bernice) Berens of Wichita and Jim (Patti) Berens of Topeka, and
sisters: Jeanice (Gordon) Boody of Wichita and Alvera Vail of Bethany,
Oklahoma. He will be greatly missed.
A memorial service will be
held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the Oakley Cemetery.
Inurnment will follow with Military Honors by the U.S. Army, Ft. Riley
and V.F.W. Post 2981, Oakley. Memorials in his name may be sent in care
of Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 221, Oakley 67748.
Sign the online guestbook at www.kennedykosterfh.com